#3077: Western Musicians in Africa

For this New Sounds, sample some of Regina Carter’s "Reverse Thread," a record influenced by rhythms and melodies of Africa. She funded the project herself, thanks to her "Genius" award, traveling through West and East Africa, along with Madagascar. Listen as she arranges music by Malian guitarist Boubacar Traoré and another Malian guitarist, Habib Koite.

Plus, there’s music from her western predecessors, Henry Kaiser and David Fanshawe. Also, listen as Ethio-jazzer Mulatu Astatke teams up with UK’s musician collective known as the Heliocentrics, who revolve just as much around Sun Ra as James Brown, Afro and Eastern sounds. And, we have selections from the fourteen additional songs (he couldn’t fit them all on the first release) of Bela Fleck’s effort, "Throw Down Your Heart," recorded on Bela’s journey from Nashville to Mali, The Gambia, Tanzania and Uganda. It’s music from the Africa Sessions, Part 2, where we’ll hear Bela Fleck and Malian musician Afel Bocoum and more.

PROGRAM # 3077, Western Musicians in Africa (First aired on 5/18/2010)

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